A sweeping suspension of United States foreign aid has brought critical higher education and research initiatives in Malawi to an abrupt halt, threatening years of progress in science, technology, and innovation. The decision, signed into effect by U.S. President Donald Trump in January 2025 at the start of his second term, has prematurely ended the Transforming Higher Education Systems (THES) project—a flagship $17 million programme designed to uplift STEM education and institutional capacity in Malawi.
Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and managed by Michigan State University, the THES project was set to run for five years. However, its mid-cycle termination has left a trail of disruptions across Malawi’s public universities, with students and researchers now confronting an uncertain future.
Among the hardest hit is the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), which confirmed that all project activities were ordered to cease as of February. The suspension covers a wide range of initiatives, including research programmes, innovation hubs, student scholarships, and conservation projects.
“The decision has disrupted vital research and learning programmes, particularly those that were addressing real-world challenges in agriculture, environment, and health,” said Professor Alfred Maluwa, Director of Research and Outreach at MUST. “The university is now attempting to bridge the gap from its budget, but this is unsustainable.”
Other institutions impacted include Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mzuzu University, and Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, all of which were active partners in the THES programme. These universities had been using grant funding to develop technologies, revise education policies, and support underprivileged students.
A major casualty of the aid freeze is a $700,000 conservation project focused on safeguarding the Lilongwe River catchment area—a critical natural resource. The initiative, praised for its integration of scientific research with local community engagement, has now been shelved. Similarly, the Future Innovation Lab, a $95,000 research programme supported by Boston University, has also been suspended.
The sudden cut has left hundreds of students, many of them from disadvantaged backgrounds, without scholarship support for tuition and living expenses. While efforts are being made to refer students to other funding sources, the future of their academic journeys remains uncertain.
Minister of Higher Education, Jessie Kabwila, acknowledged the gravity of the situation, stating: “We must insulate our higher education system from geopolitical shocks. We’re exploring every avenue to sustain student support and research continuity, including outreach to private sector partners and international donors.”
The crisis has reignited broader concerns about the dependency of African higher education systems on external aid. Experts argue the disruption should serve as a wake-up call for greater domestic investment in science and innovation, and a renewed focus on pan-African collaboration to shield academic progress from global political fluctuations.
Article by RB Reporter
Photo/Google
Comment